Warm-Season Grasses of Summer: A Cattle Farmer's Secret to Healthy Herds and Prosperous Pastures
Warm-season grasses help fill the forage gap when cool-season pastures slow down during the hottest months of the year. Each species offers unique advantages, making it possible to extend grazing, produce quality hay, and keep livestock performing throughout the summer and into early fall.
Learn how Mojo™, our forage crabgrass, Moxie™, our premium teff blend, and Grit®, our Bermudagrass blend, can help maximize your summer forage production.
Mojo™: Summer Grazing That Keeps Going
Mojo™, our forage crabgrass, can be planted as a straight stand or interseeded into existing pastures to increase summer forage production.
For straight stands, prepare a firm seedbed by discing, harrowing, and rolling before planting. This provides an ideal environment for rapid establishment and productive grazing or hay production.
Interseeding is another effective option. Lightly harrow the existing pasture before broadcasting Mojo™ or planting with a no-till drill.
Mojo™ delivers excellent average daily gains and features Impact, a later-maturing cultivar that extends production 10 to 14 days longer than traditional forage crabgrass varieties. This allows producers to graze later into the season and often provides an opportunity for an additional hay cutting.
Moxie™: A Reliable Summer Hay Producer
Moxie™, our premium teff blend, thrives during the hottest part of the summer, making it an outstanding choice for hay production when other forages struggle.
Establishment is straightforward with a well-prepared seedbed. Because teff has a shallow root system, Moxie™ is best suited for hay production rather than grazing.
Where Moxie™ truly shines is its ability to produce multiple cuttings of high-quality, drought-tolerant hay. It also serves as an excellent emergency forage when weather limits the productivity of other crops.
Each cutting delivers impressive yields and excellent forage quality, helping producers maintain a dependable hay supply throughout the summer.
Grit®: Long-Term Productivity with Bermudagrass
Grit®, our Bermudagrass blend, is a warm-season perennial designed for long-term pasture productivity throughout the southern United States.
When planted in late spring or early summer with adequate moisture, Grit® establishes quickly and provides productive stands for years to come.
Its excellent tolerance to grazing pressure and heavy traffic makes it an ideal option for livestock operations. Grit® also produces high-quality hay for winter feeding while providing opportunities for stockpiling forage for fall grazing.
One of the unique advantages of Bermudagrass is its ability to serve as dry-standing forage. By delaying grazing until after the first killing frost, producers can take advantage of dormant forage that remains standing well into the fall. Strip grazing further improves grazing efficiency and forage utilization.
With long-term persistence, excellent grazing tolerance, and dependable hay production, Grit® helps producers maximize pasture productivity year after year.
Choosing the Right Warm-Season Grass
Every operation has different forage needs.
- Choose Mojo™ to increase summer grazing production and extend the grazing season.
- Choose Moxie™ when dependable, high-quality summer hay is your priority.
- Choose Grit® for a long-lasting perennial pasture that supports both grazing and hay production.
Together, these warm-season forage options help producers reduce the summer slump, improve pasture productivity, and keep livestock performing when cool-season grasses slow down.
